Revealed: The formula for the perfect burger – and why scientists say you should include one very unusual ingredient

Millions of Brits are preparing what they consider the perfect burger today in honour of National Burger Day.

While meat and cheese are common choices, adding other ingredients can cause major controversy in households.

To settle the debate once and for all, scientists have revealed the recipe for the perfect hamburger.

They believe that a thorough approach to this beloved fast food can maximize its enjoyment, from the way the filling is served to the way it is eaten.

They say you need to add one very unusual component, but this kitchen cupboard staple could infuriate burger purists.

Charles Spence, professor of experimental psychology at the University of Oxford, said the aromatic elements of a burger – particularly the meat – should be located higher up.

This is because the aromas are mainly perceived in the nose, while the five tastes – including salty, sour and umami – are picked up slightly lower on the tongue.

Meanwhile, the ingredients that provide an umami boost – the cheese, fresh tomato and ketchup – should be at the bottom.

‘The hamburger is perhaps the most popular food in the world,’ Professor Spence told MailOnline.

‘Ideally you want the taste buds to get the taste buds on their tongue and the aromatic elements to be on top of that.’

According to Charles Michel, a French-Colombian chef and taste researcher, the perfect burger should be 7 cm high. That is enough to fit several layers in the mouth at once.

He chooses ingredients that give the most delicious flavor, such as camembert cheese, wagyu beef and fried serrano ham for extra crispiness.

Wagyu, one of the most expensive meats in the world, comes from Japan and has a characteristic marbling of fat, which makes the meat exceptionally tender.

It’s one of the most popular foods in the world, but the addition of certain ingredients over others can cause serious controversy in households (file photo)

Both chef Charles Michel (left) and professor Charles Spence (right) believe that burgers should be eaten with the hands to enhance enjoyment.

But Chef Michel – currently Chief Innovation Officer at To’ak Chocolate – recommends one additional element that may be subject to criticism.

A few dashes of soy sauce on the bottom bun will absorb the remaining meat juices and provide an extra umami-like flavor, the chef claims.

Another essential but highly controversial addition is the gherkin, says Professor Spence – his favourite ingredient “given how divisive it is”.

He says the acidity of the pickle, with its mix of sweet and sour, helps accentuate the rich umami notes of the cheese and tomato, as well as the meat.

In addition, the pickle and crunchy iceberg lettuce give the burger an extra ‘sonic crunch’ when you bite into it. The higher sound level also makes you hungrier.

Professor Spence admits that pickles are a divisive issue in burgers, saying it’s the froggy exterior that ‘pickle haters find so repulsive’.

“Few people have fallen in love with the dimples in the skin of a cucumber,” the academic said.

‘Maybe it’s handy that the pickles are usually hidden in the middle of the sandwich.’

While many burger lovers opt for a square slice of cheddar, camembert is a good option because the cheese softens nicely as it melts.

“The protein-in-motion shot with energy-rich cheese motion is gastroporn gold,” added Professor Spence.

With its mix of sweet and sour, the pickle’s acidity also helps cut through the rich umami notes of the cheese and tomato (archive photo)

In general, combining a burger with as many colors as possible makes “what we eat look more appealing,” from the yellow of the cheese to the green of the pickle and the red of the tomato.

Finally, you should eat a hamburger with your hands, and not from a plate with a knife and fork.

Chef Michel says that paper preserves the structure and retains moisture and heat until the last bite.

And as Professor Spence puts it, ‘the first taste is with the hand’, because the food we feel in our hands influences our perception in the mouth.

By bringing the entire burger to our mouth to bite into – rather than cutting small pieces off with cutlery – we smell and appreciate the whole thing with every bite.

Interestingly, research also shows that men find it attractive when women dig their hands into their food during a dinner party.